We Are Broken
by AllTimeNatalie
Summary: They used to be so close, they used to go everywhere together but that didn't happen anymore. It was then and there when he realised they were broken forever. slight Howince.


DISCLAIMER: I own no rights to the Mighty Boosh or any one in it, even though I wish I did.

A/N: There are flashbacks which are italics.

SUMMARY: They used to be so close, they used to go everywhere together but that didn't happen anymore. It was then and there when he realised they were broken forever.

TITLE: We Are Broken

o0o

"Alright Howard," Vince grinned, stepping to the front door and pulling it open.

"Where are you going?" Howard instantly asked as he hauled the glass door open.

"To Leroy's, it's his movie night and he's got this new movie with Lynyrd Skynyrd in it and it's not even out yet. Dunno how he got it, must have illegally downloaded it. Anyway, see you later." Nodding, Howard slumped back in his seat and sighed.

"Yeah, see you later." He knew he wouldn't. Whenever Vince went to Leroy's he borrowed his spare room and stayed for the night. Winding up a toy bus, he placed it on the path of Stationary Village and sighed dejectedly for what seemed like the seventh time that night. Vince and Leroy had become close, very close like best friends and no matter how much he denied it, the thought of being replaced always seemed to make it back to his mind. He denied it and denied it but in the end he realised that it was the truth. It was always hard to accept and people always said that the truth hurt which again Howard knew was true all too well. He had been rejected before; he was used to it by now right? Wrong. Vince was his best friend, losing him hurt more than anything else. He hid it behind a mask, giving himself secret Chinese burns in the hallway when he thought no one was watching. That worked for the physical anger but not the emotional pain he was experiencing in his heart. He was sick of denying his feelings and he missed the times when Vince used to look up to him. When he always had his back, when they used to be there for each other no matter what but he had Leroy now, he didn't need Howard now. Leaning back in the chair, Howard remembered when they used to be so close, when Howard would say something de-meaning to reality and then Vince would save the day with yet another orange parker. That didn't happen anymore. He remembered when they first met.

"_Hi, I'm Howard." A seven year old Howard smiled from the swings to a brown haired boy with layered locks and bright blue eyes. _

"_Alright Howard, I'm Vince." He relied. Vince was also seven years old but they looked completely different. He had a seven year olds face just with a moustache and Vince had large hair but apart from that they were completely normal kids. Swinging forward and back, Vince smiled and looked up at the summer sun. "You go to my school don't you? I've seen you around." _

"_Yeah, you were the one who threw that piece of paper at my head." Giggling, Vince pushed himself higher on the swings. _

"_Oh right yeah, sorry about that but we were just having a laugh, me and my mate Leroy. Have you met him yet?" Shaking his head, Howard also began to swing to and fro. "He's really cool. His dad owns a slushy shop and we get them for free." Vince's eyes were the brightest blue Howard had ever seen and they were also really big in his head. Howard had small eyes, that's why everyone called him 'shrimpy' at school. A large gang of boys from the year above him were approaching; they bullied him, called him names and stole his lunch money. Vince was cool in their eyes, he was a friend and that's why he felt such a sick feeling. _

"_Hey Vince, what are you doing with 'shrimpy'?" Leroy asked throwing a stone at Howard's head but missing by a couple of inches. _

"_I…uh… I wasn't…" When he saw the need in Howard's eyes, a feeling stabbed at his heart… a feeling of guilt he had never felt before. "Look, can you just back off Leroy? You don't even know him." Vince gulped aloud and sunk into the swing when he approached. _

"_Why are you defending him?" Again, he had the questioning raised eyebrow which caused him to sigh and look at Howard for help. _

"_Because he's my friend." Howard, who had been silent through the whole debate, said in an almost strained whisper. "That's what friends do, stick up for each other." He hoped and prayed it had worked but he didn't think it had. _

"_Yeah right, Vince friends with you… whatever. See you around Vince… Shrimpy." They laughed, taunting him as they walked away. _

"_Ignore them, they're just being idiots. They do that sometimes; pick on kids younger than them." Swinging on swings again, he smiled. "Do you want to come round to mine for tea tonight? My mum's making fish fingers and chips." Nodding, Howard followed Vince back to his. Finally, after all of this time, he had a friend, someone to stand up for him, to defend him when he needed him. _

But he was gone now. Leroy had won again; he thought they were friends now but something told him different. He has seen far too many lonely nights spent listening to jazz and reading old, boring books with leatherette bookmarks sticking out at angular positions. Something in his head reminded him of the nights when they were in the apartment, practicing crimps and altering past ones. Right before they go on stage, right before Bob Fossil says something de-meaning to make Howard feel like crap he feels something, something that makes him want to fix things. Something that makes him want to bring Vince back, something that will bring back the nights spent writing down crimps and funny pictures but then he remembers that's just a fantasy. Nothing can bring them back anymore because he's left it too late. Never again will he see Vince smile or do a turtle impression of how they eat with gummy laces because he has new friends. When he stopped those bullies, he was building friendships, building bridges but they didn't last. They were fading, breaking. That night, Vince came home to see Howard rolling a toy car up and down the shop counter.

"Hi Howard, what'cha doing?" He asked, his voice lacking interest.

"Nothing much. I'm going to go to bed." He replied in a morbid voice.

"But I've just got home, don't you want to stay up and practice a few crimps?" Shaking his head, Howard began to walk up the stairs.

"Nah, you can do that with Leroy." Those words, they were enough to shatter Vince's confidence and emotions into dust, enough to break down his heart. Those words were truth, he had blown it. Now he and Howard were broken, forever. Wrapping his hand around Howard's wrist, Vince pulled him back and sighed.

"What does that mean?" He asked, words swirling with guilt and clear hurt.

"Well, you don't need me now. I'll be downstairs with Lester if you need me." Howard also seemed a little reserved, like he was hiding something, some emotion behind a mask. Did he really believe that he was being replaced, that he was pushing him away?

"No Howard wait, please stay here. I'm sorry if I've been pushing you away it's just Leroy, he gave me this free hat and a slushy when I went round." Smiling, Howard walked back over and sat down.

"Right then, _Bouncy, bouncy _or _Ooh, ooh, ooh I did a twisty_?" Searching through the pages of their _Crimp Book_, Vince pointed to _Bouncy, Bouncy _and smiled.

"I am sorry Howard." Vince's voice was tiny, in an almost whisper.

"It's okay; I know that it's easy to be lured in by frozen treats. One, two, one, two, three, four…" They crimped the night away, changing lyrics, adding in new beats such as a suicidal crab. Guess something's can be healed once they're broken, something's aren't always irreversible when you break them. You cross a seal, you cross a line, you make and break promises but it all adds up to one thing in the end… a true, deep friendship which builds up as the years pass. It's something we fear, crossing lines and taking chances and sometimes they don't pay off but other times, they can become something beautiful, wonderful. They were broken, Howard thought he had lost everything until that night when he crossed the boundary and admitted his feelings. Boundaries are set to cross them, to exceed the expectations set by friends or family members, by people we meet during our lifetime and many times we fail, we do not exceed them but when we do, we get the most wonderful feeling in the world which nothing can compare to. Howard crossed that boundary; Howard healed the severe break in his friendship.

**A/N: **Soooo, what'cha think? Hope you liked it and thank you for reading. A review wouldn't go a miss if you know what I'm saying… *Winks implying you should review* Thanks again. :D


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